Method and apparatus for collaborative context recognition

Abstract

Techniques for collaborative context recognition include determining a plurality of groups of user types. Each different group is associated with a corresponding different range of values for an attribute of a user. First data is received, which indicates context data for a device and a value of the attribute for a user of the device. A particular group of user types to which the user belongs is determined based on the value of the attribute for the user. A context label based on the context data and the particular group is determined to be sent. Some techniques include determining a value of an attribute and context data based on context measurements. First data that indicates the context data and the value of the attribute is determined to be sent. A context label based on the context data and the value of the attribute is received.

1 . A method comprising:
 determining a plurality of groups of user types, wherein each different group is associated with a corresponding different range of values for an attribute of a user;   receiving first data that indicates context data for a device and a value of the attribute for a user of the device;   determining, based on the value of the attribute for the user, a particular group of user types to which the user belongs; and   determining to send a context label based on the context data and the particular group.   
     
     
         2 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the attribute of a user comprises one or more of geographic location of the user, governmental province encompassing location of the user, age of the user, gender of the user, movement of the user, local industry in geographic location of the user, applications installed on device of the user, or semantic topics in messages exchanged with device of the user. 
     
     
         3 . A method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving second data that indicates context measurements associated with the context data and a user-selected context label; and   determining to add the context measurements to a data structure for the particular group in association with the user-selected context label.   
     
     
         4 . A method of  claim 3 , wherein determining to add the context measurements to the data structure for the particular group in association with the different context label further comprises incrementing a number of contributors to the data structure for the particular group. 
     
     
         5 . A method of  claim 4 , wherein determining to add the context measurements to the data structure for the particular group further comprises:
 determining whether the incremented number of contributors exceeds a factor of a predetermined threshold for a minimum number of contributors to a group, wherein the factor is greater than one; and   if the number of contributors exceeds the factor of the predetermined threshold, then copying data of the particular group into a plurality of child groups based on ranges of values of attributes of users.   
     
     
         6 . A method of  claim 5 , wherein determining to add the context measurements to the data structure for the particular group further comprises:
 determining, based on the value of the attribute for the user, a particular child group to which the user belongs of the plurality of child groups; and   determining to add the context measurements to the data structure for the particular child group.   
     
     
         7 . A method of  claim 3 , further comprising determining updated context data associated with the user-selected context label based at least in part on the context measurements. 
     
     
         8 . A method of  claim 7 , further comprising determining to send the updated context data associated with the different context label to at least one of the device of the user or a different device of a different user. 
     
     
         9 . A method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the plurality of groups comprises a hierarchy of child groups included within parent groups; and   determining to add the context measurements to the data structure for the particular group in association with the different context label further comprises determining to add the context measurements to the data structure for a parent group of the particular group in association with the different context label.   
     
     
         10 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the particular group of user types to which the user belongs further comprises determining that a value of the attribute of the user is similar to a range of values for the attribute associated with the particular group. 
     
     
         11 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of groups comprises a hierarchy of child groups included within parent groups; and   determining the particular group of user types to which the user belongs further comprises
 determining that a value of the attribute of the user is similar to a range of values for the attribute associated with a candidate group of the plurality of groups; 
 determining that a number of contributors of data to the candidate group is less than a predetermined threshold for a minimum number of contributors to a group; and 
 determining that the particular group is a parent group of the candidate group. 
   
     
     
         12 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the context label indicates a social environment in a vicinity of the device. 
     
     
         13 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein determining to send a context label based on the context data and the particular group further comprises determining to send a confidence measure based on a number of contributors to a data structure for the particular group. 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 determining a value of an attribute for a user of a device;   determining context data for a device based on context measurements at the device;   determining to send first data that indicates the context data and the value of the attribute for the user of the device; and   receiving a context label based on the context data and the value of the attribute for the user of the device.   
     
     
         15 . A method of  claim 14 , wherein the attribute of a user comprises one or more of geographic location of the user, governmental province encompassing location of the user, age of the user, gender of the user, movement of the user, local industry in geographic location of the user, applications installed on device of the user, or semantic topics in messages exchanged with device of the user. 
     
     
         16 . A method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 determining a user-selected context label based on input from a user of the device; and   determining to send second data that indicates the context measurements and the user-selected context label.   
     
     
         17 . A method of  claim 14 , further comprising determining to present, on a display of the device, data that indicates one of the context label or the user-selected context label. 
     
     
         18 . A method of  claim 14 , wherein a context label indicates a social environment in a vicinity of a device. 
     
     
         19 . A method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 receiving a context label further comprises receiving a confidence measure associated with the context label; and   the method further comprises presenting an alert if the confidence measure is below a confidence threshold.   
     
     
         20 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,   the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
 determine a plurality of groups of user types, wherein each different group is associated with a corresponding different range of values for an attribute of a user; 
 receive first data that indicates context data for a device and a value of the attribute for a user of the device; 
 determine, based on the value of the attribute for the user, a particular group of user types to which the user belongs; and 
 determine to send a context label based on the context data and the particular group. 
   
     
     
         21 . An apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the apparatus is a mobile phone further comprising:
 user interface circuitry and user interface software configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone through use of a display and configured to respond to user input; and   a display and display circuitry configured to display at least a portion of a user interface of the mobile phone, the display and display circuitry configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone.   
     
     
         22 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A method comprising:
 determining movement of a plurality of users during a first time interval;   determining a first user of the plurality of users and a first time within the first time interval;   determining a group of users with a similar movement to the first user during the first time interval; and   determining a location statistic for the group of users.   
     
     
         27 . A method of  claim 26 , further comprising determining a location of the first user at the first time based on the location statistic. 
     
     
         28 . A method of  claim 26 , wherein the location statistic is a most probable location among the group at the first time. 
     
     
         29 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,   the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to
 determine movement of a plurality of users during a first time interval; 
 determine a first user of the plurality of users and a first time within the first time interval; 
 determine a group of users with a similar movement to the first user during the first time interval; and 
 determine a location statistic for the group of users. 
   
     
     
         30 . An apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the apparatus is a mobile phone further comprising:
 user interface circuitry and user interface software configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone through use of a display and configured to respond to user input; and   a display and display circuitry configured to display at least a portion of a user interface of the mobile phone, the display and display circuitry configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone.   
     
     
         31 - 34 . (canceled)